Standing in the shadow of Buckingham Palace, with the Duke of Edinburgh by her side, the Queen added her own hand-written message to the baton as it set-off on its trip of more than 120,000 miles.

The monarch placed the unique hand-crafted baton made of titanium, wood and granite into the hands of sprint legend Allan Wells, winner of four Commonwealth Golds and the 100 metre Olympic sprint title at the 1980 Moscow Games.

The baton will travel across the Commonwealth - including all the home nations and territories - arriving at its first international stopover in India on October 11.

On its final leg next June, it will be taken the length and breadth of Scotland on the way to the last destination - the opening ceremony of the games.

The Queen's message to athletes will remain a secret until she reads it herself at the opening ceremony at Celtic Park on July 23 next year.

Lord Smith of Kelvin, the Glasgow 2014 chairman, told the guests gathered at the Palace: "Years of planning and preparations have gone into putting on the Games and we have now reached the moment when the countdown really begins.

"The baton is a tangible object. Thousands of people will carry it, and they will bring the Commonwealth to life in front of our eyes. As the journey unfolds, we will see a vast diversity of people, of landscapes and of cultures."